Sliding door



May 1, 1923.

- 1,453,986 o. J. MILLER SLIDING DOOR Filed July 1o, 1922 2 sheets-sheet 1 v i1' llllmlzlflrlllllllln WITNESSES ATTORNEY O. J. MILLER May l, 1923.

ATTORNEY lPatented May 1, l923.

aire stares rr lric GRIN' J. MILLER', 0F HURDSFILD, NORTH DAKOTA.

SLEDING4 DOOR.

` Application filed july 1.o,

sect-ions adapted to be alined vertically when in closed position with relation to the door opening, and adapted when not in use to be suspended and locked in an overhead position, with the sections of the door placed in superimposed position. Though the invention was designed particularly for grain doors, it is capable ot use in many other relations. y

llhe invent-ion will bel best understood from a consideration ot the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part ot' this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not conined tov any strict conformity with the showing in the drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modificationsl mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as eX- pressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing l.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation or the sections ot my door applied to anopening in aber; car. 35 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the sec-tions of the door located in an inoperative and overhead position.V l

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an inside elevation of the 4door with the sections located in closed position.

Fig. 5 lis a horizontal section taken through the upper portion .of 4. with parts broken away to show the sliding means for the sections of the door. y

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a track-engaging member-tor supporting one of the sections ot' the door on its tracks.

y Fig. 7 is a sectional perspective view ott a modified form ottrack. y

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the side of the box car, 2 the top or root, and l3 the posts or door jambs. Secureddirectly to the door jambs,

in face to vface relation,

1922. serial No. 573,972.

is a pair o1 spaced tracks 4, with offset por' tions 5 extending laterally beyond'the jambs 3 and inwardly of the opening'of the door.

Spaced from the tracks 4, by means of spac-` ing strips 7 is a second pair of tracks 8. The tracks 4, spacing 'strips 7 and tracks 8 are respectively secured 4tothe door jainbs 3 by means ot' screws or bolts 9. The tracks 8 have offset portions 10 extending laterally outwardly and beyond the spacing strips 7.

The tracks 4 are positioned vertically with the portions 11 extending at an angle inwardly from the vertical portions and spaced in parallel relation with the angularly disposed portions 12 of they `tracks 5.

The angular portions 11 and 12, respectively,

or the tracks 4 and 5 are secured to the roof of the box car by means of bolts 13, and

spaced from each other by means of sleeves 14 located on the bolts 13, while the portions 11 of the tracks 4 are spaced from the root ot said carvby means oi washers 15'on the bolts 13.

As shown in Fig. 2,'the portions 11 and 12 of the tracks 4 and 5. are inclinedl at an angle to the horizontal, and this is dueto the fact that the roof of the boX car is in-v clined, but where the angular portionsr11 and 12 of the tracks are secured to the top oit a car, or any other lined' support which is located in a horizontal position, the said portions ot the tracks will be likewise located in a horizontal position and at substantially a right angle to the vertical portions of the tracks which are secured to the door jambs 3. Curved portions 29 connect the vertical portions of the 'tracks with the angular portions ot the same.

Theoffset portions 5 ot the tracks 4 are located in staggered relation with theoset portions 10 of the tracks 8, with the otlset portions of the tracks 4 extending in an opposite direction to the oli'set portions of the tracks 8.

The door closure comprises two sectionsga lower section 13 and an upper section 17 rlhe lower section is provided with verticaly bars 18 shown more particularly in Fig. 4,

bolted or otherwise secured to said section ot the door adjacent its side edges, and provided with hook-like members 19 `eri-tending laterally from the ends ot the bar 'and having end portions l2O adapted to hook over or embrace the oilset portions 1() of the tracks S. The portion 20 of the hoolnlike member 19 is turned at an oblique angle relative to the bar 18, as shown in Fig. 2. rllhe purpose of this construction will be explained later. An iron brace 21 extends horizontally acrossk the front orl the section 16 of the door with its ends ofqset where it engages the bars 18. Bolts passing directly through the oilset ends of the iron brace, the bars 18, and t-he section 16 of the door secure these members together in rigid relation.

` Adjacent the lateral edges of the section 17 oi' the door are secured, by meats oi" bolts, bars 22, provided at their opposite ends with laterally projecting track-engaging members 23 which are otl'set from the plane or the bars .22 in order to neatly receive the oil'set portion 5 of the tracks 4 between the trackengaging members and the section 17 of the door, whereby said section is maintained in position on its respective tracks.

lhe angular portions 11 ot the tracks fl are provided adjacent their ends and along the inner edges with sockets 24 formed by making two cuts at right angles to each other through the tracks and adjacent the lateral edges of the tracks to provide tongues which are bent downwarlly at right angles to the tracks and horizontally, and then upwardly with the free ends of the tongues projectingabove the horizontal plane ot the upper faces or the portions 11 of said tracks. The bent tongues term sockets or seats tor the reception oiE the upper trackengaging members 23 when the section 17 ot the door is located in an overhead position, and thereby prevents the section oit the door from being dislodged'irom its ino-pera-l tive position. Upon the outer lateral edges of the portions 12 of the tracks 8 are formed similar sockets 26 having stops 25 entending above the horizontal plane of the tracks. rlhese sockets are adapted to receive the track-engaging members 19 and retain the section 16 ot the door in position against sliding movement when said section is located in an overhead position and suspended below the section 17 oi said door. The projecting portions 25 ot the sockets 2a and 26 act as stops to prevent the respective trackengaging' members 19 and 23 from riding beyond the sockets.

An opening is formed in the section 16 of the door provided with a closure 27, which is operated by the member 26 'for opening the rame to permit grain to itlow from the kopening in said section, The closure 2'? and the operating mechanism or said closure iorm no part ci the present invention.

As shown in F c' i, the sections 16 and 1'?, are located in cle d position and in vertical alinement, with the bottom edge ot the section 1T rest-ing on the upper edge or the section 16. The section 1T normally maintained in place by of the track-engaging members 23 engaging one or' the faces of the tracks 4, with the opposite faces of the tracks in engagement with the section 16. The posts or door jambs 3j are extended suiiiciently beyond the lateral edges ot the sections 16 and 17 whereby any pressure from within against thesections 16 and 17 of the door will be carried directly by the door jambs 3, instead of by the tracks el.

The section 16 of the door is maintained in operative relation with the tracks 10 by reason oi the track-engaging members having the hook portions 2O in,l embracing engagement withv theextended portions 10 ot the tracks 8. The abutment of portions ot; the door section 17, which'y are adjacent the lateral edges of said section with the tracks 4, prevents outward movement of said section, while the hooks 2()v on the track-engaging members19 prevent rearward motion.

`When it is desiredto remo-ve the sections of the door to an inoperative position, the upper section 17 is shoved upwardly with the tracks l engaged, between the track-engaging members 23 andthe outer face ofthe section 17 until thefsaid section is located inL a substantially horizont-al position, as shown I in lT 2, with the track-engaging members 23 supporting said section suspended in an overhead position, from the tracks,the upper track engaging members beingvv located iny the sockets 24. ln'thispositiom'the section 17 is substantially locked,` in an inoperative position. The lower 'section 1G- is then moved upwardly with the track-engaging members 19 riding on, the tracksuntlthe section 16 is located in anoverheadjposition and suspended from the portions 12 ofthe tracks 8 below the section' 17. The section 16 is moved` suiliciently inward,v from the.

side et the car to cause -the upper track-en'- gaging members 19` to tall within the sockets 26, whereby. the section 16 will be substantially locked in an inoperative position.

li it be desiredto release the sections of the doors, it willbe only necessary to elevate the upper end of the section 16 by means of a shovel, stick or other implement that; may be convenient, torelease the track-engaging members from their respective sockets,

pushing outwardly onthe section, when said section will-be caused to deseendjin the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The angular position of the hook 20relative to the bar 18, permits theV door to ride readily around the curved portions 29 which connect the portions 12 otfthe tracks with the tracks proper. Y

ln a similar manner, some implement may be employed 'for slightlyk raising the upper end orp the section 17 to release said section from its locked position, and' then by pushing on the upper endzof'the section, saidsection will be causedr to slide forwardly towards the opening in the side ot" the car with the track-engaging members 2 3 ridingon the.

track. The section 17, after leaving the portions l1 of the tracks, will fall directly into place and in alinement with the section 16 of the door.

lt will be noted that the portions 1l and 1:2 of the respective tracks 4t and 8 are spaced at a greater distance apait than the vertical portions or" the tracks to permit the door sec- -tion 17 to be placed with the door section 16 when said door sec` in superimposed relation side members or flanges of the angle ironsk forming the respective tracks 5a and 10a. l.Vliere these angie ironsv are located in an overhead position, they are spaced apart by a strap iron 32 which is riveted at its opposite ends to the opposite laces of a side flange of each of the angle irons. rl`hese tracks are likewise located in staggered relation and oilset from each other.

What is claimed is l. A sliding door comprising a plurality of sections, pairs of spaced track bars secured to fixed supports upon opposite sides of the door, the tracks bars of each pair being located in spaced and offset relation throughout their lengths, track-engaging members on one door section engaging on the inner sides of one set ot trackbars, and track engaging members on the other door section engaging on the outer sides of the other set of track bars, said sect-ions being movable into vertical alinement to close the doorway and relatively slidable into opposed parallel relation when opening the same.

2. i sliding door comprising a plurality of sections, pairs of spaced tracks secured to fixed supports upon the opposite sides of the door, the tracks of each pair being locate-d in spaced and oli1 set relation throughout their lengths, a portion of the tracks being disposed vertically with the remaining` portions of the tracks inclined at an angle to the vertical portion and secured to ay fixed overhead support, track engaging members secured adjacent the lateral edges .of the sections of the door, the track-engaging members on one door section engaging the inner side of one set of tracks with the track-engagingniembers on the other door section engaging the outer side of 'the other set oi" tracks, said track-engaging members being adapted to support 'the sections oi the door in suspended orerhead relation `from the angular portions of the tracks, said sections being slidable into relative to an opening to be vertically alined,

pairs of spaced tracks secured to fiXed sup-v ports upon opposite sides of the door, the tracks of each pair being respectively spaced, a portion of the tracks being disposed vertically with theremaining portions of the tracks inclined at an angle to the vertical portion and secured to a tixed overhead support, track-engaging members secured adiacent the lateral 'edges of the door, the trackengaging members on one sectionengaging one pair of tracksl with the track-engaging members on the other section engaging the other pair of tracks, saidl track-engaging members adapted to support the sec-tions of the door in suspended overhead relation from the angular portions ot the tracks, and means on the upper ends of the tracks adapted to be engaged by the track-engaging'members `for locking the sections of the door in `the overhead position; v

A sliding door comprising a plurality of sections slidable with respect to each other and adapted when located inclosed position l relative to an opening'to be vertically alined,

pairs of spaced tracks secured to fixed sup-k ports upon the oppositesides of the door, the tracks of eachl pair being locatedy in spaced relation throughout their length, a portion of the tracks being disposed vertically with an yangularly disposed portion connected to the n vertical portion by a curved -portion,the\in ner adjacent edges of one pair of tracks and the opposite-side'edges lofthe other pair of ltracks being provided with cut-out portions 'forming a longitudinally extending tongue bent to form sockets, with the free end'of the tongue projecting above the longitudinal face oli the tracksto provide stops, laterally" projecting` track-engaging members secured A sliding door comprising a plurality' i p adjacent the side edges of the sections of the door, the trackengaging members on onev section engaging vone set of tracks with the track-engaging members on the other section eng ng the other set or" tracks, said track engaging members adapted to support the iiov sections vof the door in suspended overhead' relation trom `the angular portionssof the tracks, with pairs of the track-engaging members of each section seated within thtr sockets formed in the tracks, the stops limit ing the sliding movement of the section.`

ln testi as my own, l have hereto afiixed my signature. 3

OBN J. MILLER;

mony that l claim the foregoingl 

